The invention relates to a device for securing card-type objects, in particular cheque guarantee cards and credit cards, against being lost or mislaid, comprising:
two parts which are movable relative to each other between a secure position in which the card is retained in its storage space and an open position in which the card can be removed, PA1 and mechanical means which prevent closure of the parts until in the secure position, and which can be rendered inoperable by means of the card. PA1 two substantially flat parts which are hingedly connected to each other near an end edge of each preferably by a hinge pin, PA1 the first part near the hinge pin being provided with a chamber which is open near the end edge of the part, and in which said displacing element is situated, in form of a locking lever which can swivel about a swivel pin crossing the hinge pin at right angles, PA1 in that the second part is provided with a first moulded-on finger which comes to rest against the locking lever at one side of the swivel axis thereof, in such a way that when the two parts are swung open the locking lever will swivel, and the other end of it goes into the movement path of a second finger moulded onto the second part in the chamber, and, as a result, a closing movement of the second part is blocked, and PA1 in that the hinge pin lies at least a card thickness higher up than the internal face of the second part, thereby producing a slit-shaped space, so that--in swinging the device through the open position thereof--by inserting a card through the interspace into the chamber, the locking lever can be swivelled back in order to release the blocking of the second part. PA1 that one part comprises a bottom face with raised edges on two opposite sides and at least one stop edge for the card at one of the other sides, PA1 that the bottom face is provided with at least one resilient element which can be pressed into the bottom face by a card which is present, and will spring up from said face in the absence of a card, PA1 the second part being provided with a stop lug for the resilient element, at such a point that, after a relative movement of the two parts to the open position in which the card can be removed, the two parts are prevented from moving back to the closed, secure position. PA1 a box part, dimensioned in such a way that a card and a spring can be present in the internal space thereof, and of which box part a section of one of the large faces is fixed, while a section is open and a front side contiguous therewith is also open, PA1 a lid part, substantially dimensioned in such a way that it can close said open section of the box part, it being hingedly fitted substantially at the position of the end edge of the fixed top part, PA1 the lid part at the front side being provided over a part of the width with at least one gripping edge for the card edge, PA1 in that in the closed end of the box part there is a spring which is placed under tension by a card pressed against it, PA1 and in that the bottom face of the box part at the open front side and/or the lid part near the gripping edge for the card is/are provided with a recess over a depth which at least corresponds to the compression depth of the spring when the card is placed in the holder.
Over the years a large number of proposals have been made for securing cheque guarantee cards and credit cards against being lost or mislaid. In this case the problem is not so much one of securing against theft, but rather of having an aid to ensure that when a card is used for the purpose for which it is intended the user does not forget to return it to the correct place in wallet or card case. Most proposals known hitherto have been based on electrical or electronic measures, often leading to some type of sound signal. These security circuits have become increasingly ingenious with the passage of time, but at the same time they have often become more susceptible to faults. Rising cost is almost always an inevitable consequence of this increasing degree of complexity.
Mechanical solutions were proposed, e.g. in U.S. Pat. No. 3,648,832, from which the device defined in the precharacterizing part of claim 1 is known. One of the disadvantages of this device is that it consists of a great number of parts. Apart from the fact that an embodiment for several cards gets the form of a box of a considerable thickness whilst users generally prefer a case or wallet form, this publication does not disclose an embodiment for a single card and the product is rather expensive.
A consequence of all this has therefore been that, despite the large number of proposals made, only a very small number have been put into practice.